I knew this Christmas was going to be much different from any other Christmas. I have had Christmas in the summertime before, but I've never been without my family at Christmas. I've spent 21 Christmas days with the same people. My family knows all the Christmas traditions. I don't have to guess how we will open presents, or what Christmas cookies will be passed out to the neighbors. We all know what is supposed to be done for advent and different parts of the season that are necessary.
This year my roommates and I had to come up with our own things to do for the holiday season. Overall we had a lot of fun during a time when it can be miserable to be away from friends and family.
A week before Christmas, we went to a nearby children's home and had a blast playing with the kids there. We were invited to eat dinner with them. They had a big Thai style dinner. The children roasted buffalo on a stick for everyone to eat, and we picnicked on mats. The meal was complete with buffalo, sheep, rice, and lots of fruit. Bats flew overhead, and the mosquitoes feasted on us, but it was a lot of fun to be with the kids and watch them dig into dinner with their hands.
On Christmas day we had two teachers over for dinner. We enjoyed eating together and sharing in the fellowship of brothers and sisters in the Lord.
This year there was one thing about the Christmas story that particularly stood out to me. As I missed my family this season, the traditions we share, as well as the memories, I thought about Jesus. Jesus left His throne in heaven and moved to a place where no one knew His memories. There was no one there physically for Him to say, 'remember that time we created the world?'. Jesus was alone in His experiences, no one knew His history. He was the most misunderstood person that ever walked this earth, and He had the most unique history. I am so thankful for Jesus who is familiar with our experiences, who is able to sympathize with our weaknesses. Not only that, but our God is Immanuel, God with us, so in fact, we are not ever alone, for our God is with us!
I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Christmas season.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
"In the Air There's a Feeling of Christmas..."
I love Christmas time in the US. White candles in the windows, a wreath on the front door, Christmas trees glowing through the windows, lights on the porch railings or trees in the front yard. Everything is so welcoming, so homey, and inviting. Christmas music is played in every story, even if it is filled with commercialism, everywhere there is this feeling of Christmas.
There are no Christmas lights in the windows here, no wreaths, and very few Christmas trees. One house in my neighborhood almost gives me the feeling of Christmas as I walk by...except their lights are strung all year...around the spirit house in their front yard.
Thailand is almost completely void of the "feeling of Christmas". In our home, we can make it feel like Christmas, and in big stores, there is an attempt to appeal to foreigners with Christmas decor. But the people of Thailand do not recognize the holiday. They celebrate the coming of the New Year, and Children's Day, but they do not celebrate Christmas. Of course, this should be no surprise, why would a Buddhist country celebrate Christ's coming to earth. Still it is strange to be in a land where Christ's birth is not celebrated by all, regardless of religious beliefs. Oh that all those who celebrated Christmas in the United States were genuinely celebrating the birth of Our Savior. Oh that the people of Thailand will come to know Jesus as Savior, and worship Him.
Enjoy the Feeling of Christmas and pray for people's hearts to be turned toward the Lord in genuine worship of Him this season.
There are no Christmas lights in the windows here, no wreaths, and very few Christmas trees. One house in my neighborhood almost gives me the feeling of Christmas as I walk by...except their lights are strung all year...around the spirit house in their front yard.
Thailand is almost completely void of the "feeling of Christmas". In our home, we can make it feel like Christmas, and in big stores, there is an attempt to appeal to foreigners with Christmas decor. But the people of Thailand do not recognize the holiday. They celebrate the coming of the New Year, and Children's Day, but they do not celebrate Christmas. Of course, this should be no surprise, why would a Buddhist country celebrate Christ's coming to earth. Still it is strange to be in a land where Christ's birth is not celebrated by all, regardless of religious beliefs. Oh that all those who celebrated Christmas in the United States were genuinely celebrating the birth of Our Savior. Oh that the people of Thailand will come to know Jesus as Savior, and worship Him.
Enjoy the Feeling of Christmas and pray for people's hearts to be turned toward the Lord in genuine worship of Him this season.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Hope International School Prayer Request
I work for an organization called, Hope International Schools. The mission of this organization is to break the cycle of poverty and oppression in Thailand, by developing an excellent school, rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The school which we are starting as an organization is called The School of Promise.
The beginning of this project has been difficult, as I'm sure the updates have shown. We have faced many obstacles.
We are facing another huge obstacle as an organization. Not impossible, but huge in our human eyes. The obstacle of finances, which is threatening the immediate future of the school project.
"Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, BUT Not with GOD; all things are possible with God." Mark 10:27
We're in a tricky situation. We need to have a building rented, a full staff, and money on reserve to even apply for a school license. However, without a license, we can't have students and don't receive the tuition fees. At the beginning of the school year, (May-August), we were receiving some tuition reimbursement and weren't renting a building. Also, the Thai staff was being paid by a partnering ministry. Now, the partnering ministry is no longer supporting the Thai staff, we are paying for the building rent, and we aren't receiving any tuition reimbursements. Our expenses have greatly increased at a very pivotal time in our ministry.
We have been unable to pay the bills that have come due this week. We are stuck. If we are unable to pay our bills and unable to continue toward obtaining our licence, our project will have to be shut down. This breaks our hearts because there are so many children and their families in this community and from the orphan homes that this school could reach with the gospel.
I never wanted to use this blog as a means of asking for donations, nor do I enjoy asking for them. However, I don't want to sit back and know that I didn't do everything in my power to make people aware of the situation our school is in.
I wish that I could recount to you every way that the Lord has been faithful to me, in bringing me to this project, and all the ways I have seen Him faithfully provide for the school up to this point. I trust that the Lord can provide for us once more. If the Lord chooses not to provide, I believe it is because He has even greater plans.
Please pray for God's guidance and clear direction. Please join us in praying for the future of Hope International Schools. Pray that the Lord might show us His will, that we would be quick to listen and walk in His ways.
Thank you for your prayers and your partnership.
If you are interesting in reading more about Hope International Schools, or interested in partnering with the ministry, please visit http://www.hopeinternationalschools.org/.
Trusting Him.
The beginning of this project has been difficult, as I'm sure the updates have shown. We have faced many obstacles.
We are facing another huge obstacle as an organization. Not impossible, but huge in our human eyes. The obstacle of finances, which is threatening the immediate future of the school project.
"Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, BUT Not with GOD; all things are possible with God." Mark 10:27
We're in a tricky situation. We need to have a building rented, a full staff, and money on reserve to even apply for a school license. However, without a license, we can't have students and don't receive the tuition fees. At the beginning of the school year, (May-August), we were receiving some tuition reimbursement and weren't renting a building. Also, the Thai staff was being paid by a partnering ministry. Now, the partnering ministry is no longer supporting the Thai staff, we are paying for the building rent, and we aren't receiving any tuition reimbursements. Our expenses have greatly increased at a very pivotal time in our ministry.
We have been unable to pay the bills that have come due this week. We are stuck. If we are unable to pay our bills and unable to continue toward obtaining our licence, our project will have to be shut down. This breaks our hearts because there are so many children and their families in this community and from the orphan homes that this school could reach with the gospel.
I never wanted to use this blog as a means of asking for donations, nor do I enjoy asking for them. However, I don't want to sit back and know that I didn't do everything in my power to make people aware of the situation our school is in.
I wish that I could recount to you every way that the Lord has been faithful to me, in bringing me to this project, and all the ways I have seen Him faithfully provide for the school up to this point. I trust that the Lord can provide for us once more. If the Lord chooses not to provide, I believe it is because He has even greater plans.
Please pray for God's guidance and clear direction. Please join us in praying for the future of Hope International Schools. Pray that the Lord might show us His will, that we would be quick to listen and walk in His ways.
Thank you for your prayers and your partnership.
If you are interesting in reading more about Hope International Schools, or interested in partnering with the ministry, please visit http://www.hopeinternationalschools.org/.
Trusting Him.
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